Parties to Die For

Parties to Die For, A Night of Mystery Blog

October 24th, 2012 | Posted by Randi

Last Minute Hosting Tips!

We are surprised by how many of our customers will download a mystery and throw it on a whim! Often THAT VERY NIGHT!!!Whether it is to spice up an already planned party or create a reason to party, if you are short on time, here are some ways to make your party planning a breeze!

(1) Utilize our email invitations!
There isn't a faster way to let everyone know you are having a party than email. Simply download an invite here and send it out to your prospective party-goers to get an rsvp count of who may be interested!
Once you have your rsvp count and have purchased the party, you will be able to email your guest more information on the party, plus their character description.

(2) Pick a theme that requires less dressing up or that you believe your guests may already have.

Think your friends could get creative with their bed sheets? - Terror in a Toga - in Roman times

(3) Consider providing some accessories for your guests to help them "get into character". If you don't think your guests will have time to costume for the theme you want to thros, have a box of accessories for your guests. When they walk in the door, they can pick one or two to compliment their outfit. (Find accessories at your local party store and/or order online with quick shipping.)
Some ideas include:Murder at The Deadwood Saloon: bandanas, cowboy hats, mustaches, feather boas, etc. Murder at The Juice Joint: long beads, feather boas, bowler hats, gangster hats, cigars.Murder Among the Mateys: pirate hats, eye patches, bandanas, mustaches, swords.
If throwing an all-female party, consider Killing For the Crown and you provide the sashes!You get the idea. (If you don't, there are more ideas on the individual "party tips" pages within the website.)

(4) Have a "surprise" murder mystery party. Let everyone know you are throwing a party and when they arrive, hand them their description, nametag, money and "a" objectives. If you want them to come dressed up, let them know the theme (a western, a toga, a pirate, etc. party). This takes some angst off the guest coming and also makes it so the host does not have to worry about assigning/emailing/mailing parts ahead of time. If you are going this route, you may want to utitilze #3 above and have at least some accessories for certain characters - like a veil for the bride, if throwing Till Death Do Us Part.

"One year, we threw Murder in Margaritaland without telling anyone. My husband (Coconut Joe) greeted everyone with a lei as they walked into the door and that was all they needed to get in the mood. I assigned the characters and we were all good to go!"

(5) Utilize the website, the party decorations and all the party planning advice Night of Mystery has.
Often you will even find decorations included with the mystery - making it even easier! (Be sure to see if your mystery has it before ordering, though!) Check out this blog post to find all the places you can go for ideas.

Most decorations included with the mystery you simply print out and hang up!

There you have it. For those impromptu party planners who want to provide something extra-special, we've just shown you how!

This blog is devoted to highlighting different ways to enhance your Night of Mystery parties. We plan to feature different party ideas, contests, pictures of other parties- basically any and everything we can think of to help you throw a better party!